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Tenaciously Teal’s 4th Annual Care Packs & Cocktails 2019

Making an Impact in the Fight Against Cancer!

Anticipation mounted as the long line outside the Criterion pressed its way into Tenaciously Teal’s 4th annual Care Packs & Cocktails fundraiser April 12. Once inside, an electric buzz of music, chatter and laughter welcomed some 800 glittery guests who came to share the love and celebrate survivorship!

Guests were greeted by twinkle light-wrapped balloons hovering over the tables, and hostesses handing out sparkling glasses of champagne. Impressive raffle and silent auction tables promoted the chance to win fabulous art, sports items, spa and facial packages, an impressive wine collection, as well as yoga, spin, personal training sessions and much more.

But the biggest winners that night were the 34 cancer survivor models, who proudly took the T. Teal runway with great confidence and strutted the latest fashions while dancing, throwing kisses and ecstatic smiles to the cheering crowd. This was their night. Their hard-won fight! They stole the show. They won our hearts.

A total of $106,000 was raised, including $48,000+ in donations as gift after gift rolled across the giant screen directly from cell phones in the crowd. “We couldn’t have achieved such an incredible success without the commitment and support of our board, our sponsors, committee and volunteers,” said one of the committee members. Also, our special thanks to Balliets’s, Dillards, Fashion Lion, Mode, Tee For The Soul, and Milo & Lily Boutique for providing the stylish fashions and to Mac and Thrive Cosmetics for the great make up for the survivor models. From Tenaciously Teal, our deepest, heartfelt thanks to all who worked so hard to enables us to share more love than ever before.”

Funds raised will help send out 14,000+ Care Packs this year and support our Brave Shaves and Empowerment Shoots. T. Teal also provides financial aid, including gas and grocery cards, for people who are facing extreme difficulties that can prevent them from getting treatment or being able to take care of themselves and their families while getting treatment.

Tarah Warren, T. Teal founder and director, brought a moment of tearful silence to the audience when she noted that “Everyone here tonight is either fighting or has survived cancer; or they came in honor or in memory of someone they loved or lost because of this disease. “We are all in this together! We are here tonight to help every cancer fighter win his or her battle by making sure they know they are not alone.”

This was the exact message Collin Gilmartin felt in 2014 when he received his Care Pack during his first radiation treatment for his second battle with prostate cancer. “I was in that cold room with that scary machine, all alone, struggling with the fears that had invaded my mind just as the cancer had invaded my body. After my treatment, the technician handed me the Care Pack with all the encouraging messages and stuff I would need during my treatment. And I thought: Wow! I’m really NOT alone. That bag gave me courage and hope, and I knew I could beat this.”

The same day, Collin reached out to Tarah on Facebook and got involved in T. Teal. That was 5 years ago. Today Collin is cancer free. His heart had been touched by a simple Care Pack, and he wanted to pass on the love to others. Collin, who is the marketing director Little Caesars Pizza, contributes pizza for Kid’s & Care Packs every year, and donates more than 500 pizza gift cards each year to T. Teal. One little bag can make a big impact!

Another attendee, Bonnie Arnold, was diagnosed with breast cancer January 17 this year. Bonnie got her Care Pack her first day of chemo. “It was so powerful! I was speechless and so humbled because I didn’t even know what I was going to need to take care of myself. Bonnie was with her daughter at the event, where she got another infusion of love and support from T. Teal, much like the one she got from her Care Pack. “Next year,” the mother of 11 children said, “I’m going to walk on that stage. I’m going to be a Survivor!”